10,000 Miles
by summermelon
Summary: Aizawa and Shiraishi were 10,000 miles apart. If they were just comrades at work, why did his departure hurt her so much? A compilation of events following season 3 episode 10. Rated T for medical situations. Aizawa Kousaku/Shiraishi Megumi


Disclaimer: I still do not own Code Blue and the characters.

Warning. This fic has spoilers up to episode 10 of Code Blue - The Third Season.

* * *

It was a big day for Aizawa Kousaku. He looked at the boarding pass on his hand, a one-way ticket to Toronto that he worked so hard for. He felt giddy, even if he didn't show it to just anyone but the woman beside him knew otherwise. Shiraishi had been friends with him for too long not to notice. This was something he had been waiting all his life, no matter how hard he tried to deny it in front of others.

"You are excited, aren't you?"

His silence was a sign of approval, as he slowed down his walking pace a little bit as he realized how fast he was walking previously. The sight made Shiraishi Megumi chuckle. Who would've thought there would come a day when she would see the neurosurgeon so excited in his mid-30s as if he was a grade-schooler going to Disneyland. It was fortunate that she could take the day off and see him off at the airport, as the good staff leader she was. Even if he told her he was capable of taking care of everything by himself, she proved him wrong as she counted back the number of his bags before they left his apartment and noticed one containing his important papers just sitting on top of a drawer was almost left behind.

It was peculiar for him to make mistake as perfect as he might look, but Aizawa was human too after all. She knew that from the very beginning.

"It's almost boarding time. You better get to the gate soon. Don't want you to miss your flight, do we?"

"Shiraishi."

"What?"

The next thing she knew, she felt something warm dripping down her cheeks. No, no, no. She tried so hard to hold it back only to have her defenses break down at the very last minute. She used to be better at hiding her feelings, but never was when she was around him. Aizawa was always the one to be around her at her worst moments. This wasn't how she expected to see him off, with smile and joy to reassure him that the lifesaving team would be fine without him. She would be fine without him,

but everybody knew she wouldn't.

Lifesaving had Natori, Yokomine, and Haitani to help with the shortness of staff as they get better each and every day. Hiyama's departure was justified by Tachibana and Mitsui returning in full force after their son's successful heart transplant surgery. They could argue that Aizawa's excellent skill were irreplaceable but everybody knew that wasn't the reason behind her tears.

This was different from the time when he moved to neurosurgery. They could still see each other from time to time, like when Aizawa came to answer her consultation or coincidentally getting on the elevator at the same time. They were working in the same building after all, but the 10,000 miles from Tokyo to Toronto wasn't nothing. Not to mention the time difference they had to face, but what hurt the most was not knowing how she had to cope with the loneliness. They were just acquaintances, who happened to work at the same department.

If that really was the case, why did his departure hurt this much?

Amidst her confusion, she felt something warm against her cheeks. His thumb, wiping over the teardrops on her slightly flushed cheek. The gesture stunned her. Aizawa was kind, she was one of the first person in the hospital to notice, but he wouldn't do something to that extent to anyone, or any female specifically. Why, she wanted to ask; but the question was soon answered by his crushing hug.

It wasn't some friendly hug she shared with a relative in gatherings, or when she hugged Hiyama after their argument. This was something different, something more. Her heart raced even faster than when she had to deal with a cardiac tamponade, brain hemorrhages, arterial rupture, heart arrests. It wasn't the excruciating kind, instead it felt novel, warm and fluttery. Like something she had never felt before.

At that moment she knew. This was something she had been missing all the time, something that everybody else had been talking about. After years of working together, bickering, helping each other, and not knowing the reason why they had enjoyed each other's presence more than anyone, she finally understood the meaning of this feeling.

She loved him.

So she extended her hand to wrap it around his back, tightening the hug even more as if they could get even closer than they were. Neither one wished to let go, nor minded the passerby around. At that moment, it felt as if time stopped and they were each other's world. They had waited for so long, only to notice at such unfortunate time.

No, Shiraishi wouldn't ask him to stay. That would be ironic for someone who encouraged him to chase his dream, and it wouldn't be faltered no matter what. So she was the first to let go, pushed him away just to give enough distance to look into his eyes which was slightly redder than it was before, though there were no traces of tears on his face as she had on hers. This was just as hard for him as it was for her.

"Aizawa-sensei, we will be fine. I will be fine."

She felt him moving his hands away from around her body, but this time he held her hands tight.

"I will come back. Please wait for me."

It was a nearly impossible request for most people. The residency would take more than four years, not to mention that life as a resident were nowhere less busy compared to lifesaving doctors. The time they had to spend away from each other, the distance they would need to travel. It wouldn't be easy.

"I will." She returned his grip on her fingers.

She was a fighter and so was he. They would never back down from any challenger no matter how hard they may seem, especially when they got each other. Finally, Aizawa turned to his back and walked into the departure gates. He stole another glance at her for one last time and this time she was smiling wide though there was no denying the tears that were still rolling on her cheeks. She waved her hand weakly at him, and whispered as if he could have listened.

"I will wait for you, no matter how long it takes."

He didn't, but he knew. They both knew.

* * *

"42-year-old female patient fell from the subway's staircase. Closed fracture on her left femur. Patient's unconscious, blood pressure and saturation is dropping." Shiraishi heard Fujikawa shouted as a patient was pushed into the room. Immediately everybody around in the room moved into action.

"Excuse me ma'am, I'm going to cut your pants." A nurse said.

"Excuse me, I'm inserting an IV line to your hand." Haitani swiftly did as he said so.

Still no response from the patient, it may be a sign that something serious was happening. The lifesaving staff leader stood right behind the patient's head, checking for pupillary reflex and the reflex on the patient's right eye is slower than the left. It could be a cerebral hemorrhage from the fall. She looked over to the patient's thigh where Fujikawa was examining her fracture. There was no swelling, lowering the chance of a possible femoral artery rupture behind her worsening condition.

"Her femoral artery looks fine. Look for other sources of bleeding." Fujikawa shouted. Then she heard another one from Yokomine who did a FAST on the patient.

"Shiraishi-sensei, FAST is clear. I have double checked." She trusted Yokomine enough. After all, she was no longer a fellow and she had done this so many times in the past.

"Doctor, blood pressure is below 60!"

 _Could it be a massive cerebral hemorrhage?_

"I'm contacting Neurosurgery." She took her phone from her pocket and dialed the number she had dialed for so many times in the past, to the neurosurgery department's phone.

"Hello?"

"Hello, Aizawa-sensei?"

...

"This is Shinkai."

It was too late for her to realize her mistake. She could feel the gazes piercing at her instantly. Cold sweat began forming on her palm but she tried to remain calm as always, pretending as if it never happened in the first place.

"Shinkai-sensei, this is Shiraishi from Lifesaving. I want to consult a patient." She said as she signed at her intern to add another IV line to the patient.

"Okay, I'll be there." The call ended and she put the phone back to where it was and focused her attention back to the patient, even when her heart was a mess. She didn't even realize that Saejima was still looking at her worriedly. Even when Shinkai arrived to check on her patient she remained collected, even when her heart almost skipped a beat when she saw a black scrub entering the room. She had no time to think about other things. Her patient is her priority.

Right?

When Shiraishi entered the staff room to do some paperwork she was stopped by Saejima Haruka who deliberately stood right in front of the door;

"Saejima-san, something I can help you with?"

"Don't play dumb with me Shiraishi-sensei. You know why I'm here." Her heart stirred from the words. She knew what Saejima meant, who to be precise, but she wouldn't let her defense crumble so easily. At least not without a fight.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Saejima-san. Is it about our patient earlier today? He is now stable at the ICU, I will have a look on him later if you want me to." Shiraishi said as she tried to dismiss the conversation and retreat to the door behind her colleague but the flight nurse had better reflex than she thought and leaned her back at the door completely blocking the way. She shouldn't have underestimated her.

"Shiraishi-sensei, come on. What happened earlier today has proven that you do know what I'm talking about; what I want to talk about." Although her words stung, Shiraishi knew Saejima was right. Her words have always been sharp since the first day she stepped into the department and the worst part is that she had never been able to talk back because she was always right.

In fact, all her closest friends had already gotten their fair share of hints when they went drinking to Mary Jane's after he left. Shiraishi drowned her sorrow in alcohol, even worse than the time she found out her father had lung cancer. She poured her heart out as she got even drunker with each refill, sang along to the sappiest sad songs, bashing Toronto every chance she got, to the point where she woke up with tear stains on her cheeks, the worst pounding headache ever, and black under-eye bags that is a thousand times worse than when she had three consecutive night shifts. To put it simply, she had been a pile of mess and she refused to let herself be one again tonight.

"No, you are wrong. I am fine!" Her voice was raised higher than it usually was, which surprised them both. Not even the most annoying fellows could make her do that.

They both stayed silent for a few seconds that felt like hours, waiting for Shiraishi to compose herself until Saejima broke the silence.

"If you are fine, then why are you on the brink of tears?"

Shiraishi didn't even realize it herself, but suddenly she could feel a warm and wet sensation on her cheeks, then came another one, and another one. This was not supposed to happen. Not again. She tried so hard to prevent this for the past weeks, but tonight everything was let loose. If only she could control herself just a little bit longer until she reached home, to create the usual pool of tears on her pillow every night she got reminded of him.

Saejima sighed at the sight of Shiraishi crying in front of her. She patted the doctor's shaking shoulders and led her to the doors. She had expected her to open up but not cry this much. Perhaps that is exactly what would happen if someone bottled up their feelings for so long, when it was no longer bearable you lost control of everything. It was like a ticking time bomb, just a matter of time when it would explode.

"Shiraishi-sensei get inside the room. I'll grab something for you to drink." Fujikawa was waiting for her but he could wait for a few more hours, she would tell him to wait for her somewhere warm or even go home without her. In the meantime, she needed to call Shiraishi's most trusted friend, Hiyama Mihoko. She couldn't care less how busy life as a perinatal center's staff would be. She knew Hiyama would always make time for them somehow, like they always did for each other.

As the door was shut, Shiraishi Megumi sat at the sofa, staring blankly at the desk that once belonged to him. How she missed watching him do his paperworks or simply stare at a series of CT images for hours to find even the slightest bit of clue, them bickering over the difference in their teaching methods, light conversations, sharing two cans of warm coffee after a long day of work as they watched the setting sunset from the heliport, assisting each other's procedures, his touch, all the small moments that she still treasured until today.

She missed him, so much that it hurts,

and it hurts even more not being able to express it.

* * *

"I'm leaving now. Thank you for all your hard work. Merry Christmas." She said to the other staffs as she left the hospital building. It was Christmas Eve, and she was lucky enough to get the night to herself. She almost pitied Fujikawa who had to work but at least Saejima volunteered to swap schedules with her friend so she could spend the night with her boyfriend. She had been working nonstop since morning and she had planned to spoil herself with a nice warm bath and a cup of hot cocoa.

The short haired doctor increased her paced to reach her car sooner but she was stopped right in front of the hospital by the sight of a Christmas tree display. It was small, deliberately put to commemorate the festive season. It was nowhere as beautiful as the winter illumination display in town but tonight the blinking white light hypnotized her. She was too busy to have time to think about her private matters. Naturally her mind drifted off to someone in particular.

Weeks have passed since she cried her hearts out in front of Saejima. She no longer made another mistake like that day. Her strong act had been more and more convincing each day as she drowned herself with piles of work and patients to forget the root of her problems. Everyday passed by as if he had never returned to lifesaving, only this time he was nowhere to be seen. Not even in black neurosurgery scrubs.

The only thing that made her aware of his existence was his occasional emails. He sent them once in a while and it was always very short. Sometimes it only included self-explanatory images like piles of medical records or the sky in Toronto. Very likely of him. It made her so happy for a short period, as it diminished after a few days until she received another email. She tried to justify his actions by imagining how busy it may be for first-year residents especially those who majored in a very popular department. Or he might be having trouble adjusting to his new environment. What if the food there didn't suite his taste buds?

Although he didn't show it, he is actually pretty particular with his meals. She saw him sneakily removing bell pepper slices from his sandwich. He also once gave her a box of strawberry milk because he was not too fond of something too sweet. The strawberry milk that day tasted sweeter than anything she ever had. How she would do anything to rewind that moment again.

The vibration from her coat pocket pulled her back to reality. She didn't realize how long she had been standing until she saw the time indicator on her home screen, but what shook her even more was the caller ID shown right in the middle of the screen.

Aizawa Kousaku.

The young woman immediately answered, afraid to miss a rare chance of talking to him. He never called, not once even after he left though he did inform her of his new phone number. This was his first phone call ever so she couldn't help but wonder if anything bad might have happened. At least that was something they could have concluded from their previous phone calls to each other, which usually involved near-death situations.

"Hello, Aizawa-sensei?" She asked from over the phone, but it took a few more seconds until his voice was heard.

"Shiraishi, it's a video call."

Quickly she removed the phone from her ears and looked at the screen. She could see his face filling all over her smartphone screen and the sight almost gave her a heart attack. How could she not realize that it was a request for video call instead of a regular phone call? She must have been too distracted by the name on the screen. She then adjusted the phone's front camera to capture her in a better angle.

"Aizawa-sensei, I-um, it's been awhile." She was at lost for words. Her brain was busy processing the moment, not even minding that her hair wasn't tied as neatly as it usually was due to the windiness. Thankfully, Aizawa didn't mind the sight at all. In fact, through his eyes she was still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

"Aa. Are you still on your way home? It's already so late."

He was right, it was almost 11 PM and she was still in front of the hospital building. She didn't bring her car today and opted to ride a public transportation today because of the traffic but she might regret her decision later if she missed the last bus. So her legs started walking as she plugged in her earphone.

"I'm on my way home."

Now that she finally got the chance, she took a closer look at him and his surroundings. He looked exactly the same as the day they parted, aside from the clothes. He was wearing a white t-shirt that matched the color of the bed sheet around him. The room where he was had a good access of sunlight from the window right beside his bed.

"Did you just woke up?"

"No. I just came home from a night shift." That explains the dark bags under his eyes.

"Was it stressful?"

"Had to do two craniotomies alone and got another coming in just before my shift ended, but the one in charge for this morning took over."

"I see. Have you had anything to eat? Aren't you supposed to be resting now? You just said you had a very tiring shift, what if you get sick from not getting enough rest?"

"You're still the same, aren't you?" His words stunned her for a moment. She blinked a few times, trying to figure out what he meant. Had she said something wrong?

"Eh? What?"

"Still thinking about others before yourself. You should be worried about yourself. Your nose and cheeks are red, and I can see specks of snow on your coat."

Snow?

She looked around her and that's when she realized that snow had fallen, slowly piling up around her. Thank goodness she wore her boots today otherwise she would feel sorry for her feet afterwards.

"You're right. It's snowing! Aizawa-sensei, can you see the snow?" She extended her hand which was holding the phone, trying to give him a better view of her surroundings.

"I can only see darkness."

"Too bad. The snow is pretty. We're having a white Christmas." Her voice sounded cheerful, as if she was a child again, giddy and excited from the holiday atmosphere. She had always been that way. When the other adults around them forgot how to have fun, she was there to remind them.

"Merry Christmas." He said it softly that Shiraishi's ears almost didn't catch it, luckily she did. Then he continued his words.

"I wanted to say that to you before the day ends and we're back to living in different dates."

That makes sense. The time difference from Toronto to Tokyo can be quite dreadful. He was supposed to say good morning when it's midnight for her and vice versa. Also, the young neurosurgeon must be tired from all the fuss at work but he still managed to make some time to call her today, as if he knew she had been expecting his call.

"Merry Christmas to you too, Aizawa-sensei. Also, thank you for giving me the best Christmas present."

"I didn't give you anything."

"You did. Just being able to see you tonight is a gift for me." She could feel the tears welling up. She was getting greedier by every moment, just looking at his face made her want to reach out and hug him, feeling his warmth at the tip of her hands once again.

No, she was not as weak as she was before. She had promised she would wait for him, forever if she must and it must have been hard not only for her, but also for Aizawa. He was alone in a foreign country, working hard to chase his dream. The least she could do was be one less of a burden for him.

But there was something that had been bugging her all this time, so please let her make one selfish request for him.

"Aizawa-sensei, can I ask you for something?"

"What?"

"If you are not too busy, can we do this often? Calling each other, I mean."

That was her own way of expressing how much she had missed him as neither of them initiated a more intense form of communication. She craved more with every message that came from him and the fact that they were never able to immediately reply due to their busy schedule. Calling would be another thing. She could hear his voice, feel his presence better as if he was really there in front of her, but she could never muster up her courage to do so because she was always overthinking, doubting he would answer her call, or even loathe her for pestering him with trivial matters. Shiraishi was never the type to take risks, but this one felt worth it. It was always worth it when it comes to him.

"Of course."

His immediate answer surprised her, as if he answered without thinking much. She didn't have to ask why to know his reason.

"I had wanted to do this earlier but I'm afraid I might bother you for calling."

She let out a small chuckle as she listened to his answer. She was not the only one who wanted this after all.

"Why are you laughing?"

"Nothing, I was just relieved." She refused to explain further but he might have an idea.

"I will let you know when my shift ends and you should too." She saw him nod at her statement. Then they just looked at each other without a single word being sad, taking back what they have been missing all along.

"I miss you."

"I miss you too."

It doesn't matter who said it first, because the feeling was mutual, as it had always been.

* * *

Almost two years have passed since the day they parted at the airport, since they last saw each other in person. There wasn't a day that she didn't miss him and the occasional video calls just made it worse. She wanted him to come back even if it's just for a short vacation but life as a resident isn't to be taken lightly. There were close to no holidays, even on public holidays they still had to work. Shiraishi and the lifesaving team didn't have it any better. The hospital had hired a new doctor aside from the fellows to fill in the senior doctor position but the demand for doctor heli has been rising in number, they could fly for 3 times in a shift and it was very exhausting. Good thing for her, she might pass Kuroda-sensei's flight record sooner than she thought.

Either way, there seemed to be no way for them to meet until the residency period is over but an opportunity came to Shiraishi in the form of an invitation to attend a conference in Toronto and a meeting with the university hospital's A&E department's leader for an upcoming project that involves both of the hospital. Tachibana was supposed to go but he couldn't make it as he had another important meeting to attend here in Japan and his son was still recovering from the heart transplant and could be very needy from time to time.

"Shiraishi, I'm leaving it to you. Sorry for burdening you with such matter."

"It's okay, Tachibana-sensei. Please give me a brief idea of the project and our hospital's view."

She said, sounding so professional but deep down inside she almost couldn't contain her happiness when she heard the word Toronto. Well, it was a big city and the hospital would be very busy but she would take her chances. Even the slightest chance of meeting Aizawa was enough for her, but she wouldn't want to waste such a rare opportunity to just meet normally. She wanted to surprise him, so in the few times they contacted each other not even once did she mention about her upcoming trip.

She left for Toronto the following week and attended the conference on handling emergencies and disaster medicine in particular. Being the bookworm that she was, the topic made her so excited that she asked questions at almost every panels. Of course, she did leave an impression to the speakers and some of them even gave her their business cards if she was ever interested in continuing her studies but that wasn't the highlight of the trip.

It was the day of the important meeting, and thankfully everything went well thanks to Shiraishi the perfectionist who refused to spend the last week dilly-dallying and diligently reviewing every aspect of the project. Dressed in a black blazer and a sleek white dress that reached her knee, she was able to deliver her speech very well and conveyed their hospital's standing to everyone in the room. It seems like they will reach an agreement by next month and there was nothing she loved more than the smell of success.

"Thank you for participating in this meeting, everyone but before we part I think it is best for us to have a little tour of our hospital. Especially for Dr. Shiraishi who traveled such a long way to Toronto. You should know our hospital better and maybe later we can share experiences from respective hospitals in handling disasters?"

She didn't know if anybody could she how her eye lit up at the sound of a hospital tour. She had been thinking of a way to sneak into the emergency room or the neurosurgery department but it seemed like luck was on her side today.

"Of course. I would love to explore your wonderful hospital." Then she followed everybody out of the room and wandered around. The hospital director was kind enough to explain each of their facilities and how they managed to be one of the top hospitals in the world as Shiraishi made her own mental note. Wouldn't it be wonderful if one day their hospital could be just as good, or even better than this?

"And this is our emergency department. One of the largest in the country." She stared in awe at the spacious room. It was just as clean as their hospital but they had more staff to accommodate the number of patients, something enviable for their own lifesaving department. If they had this many staff, they could handle even more cases without having to go home in a terrible migraine and aching muscles.

"It seems like it isn't as busy today, but usually our emergency beds are 60% occupied and people would be running around. Good for you, Shiraishi-sensei. You can explore freely." All the adults chuckled at the light joke as they continued walking around the A&E to see how they have divided the area into sections to accommodate each department they have for a more focused treatment. She talked to some of the staffs but most of the time her mind had been occupied by a certain neurosurgeon. Would he be there?

"And here is where the neurosurgery team work. There are usually 2 to 3 doctors on standby..."

But she barely listened to the middle-aged man's explanation. Her mind was occupied by the sight of him, dressed in a pair of unfamiliar scrubs but it was still him. Seeing him in person was different compared to the small smartphone screen. She felt overwhelmed but her heart plunged as she saw the person beside him.

The young woman, who wore the same pair of scrubs were standing beside him. She must be another neurosurgery resident, but she looked smoking hot in long blonde hair. Her figure was to die for, tall and slim but she can see her assets even when she was dressed in a straight cut scrubs. Shiraishi couldn't help but look down at her own and sighed in exasperation. Hers were absolutely defeated.

What disturbed her the most was that the blonde woman looked comfortable, way too comfortable around him. Even from a distance Shiraishi could see their shoulders brushed against one another and to put a cherry on top. The foreigner even put her hand on his shoulder as she peered over to look at the CT image he was holding. Considering how many smart and beautiful women like her flocking around Aizawa, she thought there would be no way he would have seen her in the same light anymore.

Shiraishi wanted to turn and walk to a different direction, continue their tour elsewhere, as far as possible from the neurosurgeons but seems like she ran out of luck just now.

"Dr. Shiraishi, you came from Shoyo University Hokubu Hospital, didn't you? I reckon we have a neurosurgery resident who came from your hospital."

 _Shit._

"Um- yes, I did and we do have one here." There was no way she could have lied in this situation, where the hospital's reputation was at stake.

"So I was right. That must be him. Even I know him because he was one of the best in his year."

"Oh, I see." Even at such a high level university hospital, he was still regarded as the best. He belonged here, and she couldn't help but think that maybe what happened between them was no longer significant in his life. She was probably just somebody he used to know and there was no way she could fit into his life now.

As she was busy thinking, she didn't realize what the hospital director was doing.

"Dr. Aizawa!"

 _OH NO YOU DIDN'T, SIR._

"Yes?" His voice was like music to her ears, the one she had been longing to hear in person but sadly it felt more painful than what she imagined it to be. With all things considered. Eye contact was inavoidable but she diverted her eyes down to her shoes as she fidgeted in her position. He noticed her. How she wished she could've just gone home without being noticed, but it was too late.

The young neurosurgeon was so surprised with the sight in front of him. It was her, in person. Her hair was longer than when he last saw her, still tied in the same neat ponytail. She was standing there wearing something he had never seen her worn before, but she still looked absolutely stunning, along with the hospital's directors and department leaders. He hadn't heard anything about her coming over. Had he did, he would've picked her at the airport and take the day off no matter what. Screw the surgeries he would have to skip over then, because she was just that important. Not being able to see her for the past two years was too painful and he had been counting the days until his return.

But wait, something was off with her. She didn't look as excited to see him as he thought she would be. Shiraishi had always been the kind of person to paste her feelings onto her facial expression and body language and today she didn't look happy. In fact, she seemed to regret seeing him? What did he do? They didn't argue about anything in their last call, then what could have possibly been the cause?

"Dr. Aizawa, why is the director calling over for you?"

He looked to his side and found Dr. Williams casually standing with her arm on his shoulder. He hadn't realized how long she had done that as he was too engrossed with the CT images. His eyes blinked once, then twice as his brain processed the situation. Could this be the reason behind her strange actions?

His eyes diverted to her as Dr. Williams stood beside him and he could have sworn he saw her eyes flickered in jealousy. He never thought Shiraishi would be the jealous type, like he was. The sight was so amusing, especially considering that his former colleague in lifesaving didn't know that Dr. Williams was just a friend and did that to everyone, man and woman without ulterior motives. Skinship is not uncommon here, but for Japanese it may be considered a sign of affection. This was part of the series of culture shocks he had to experience on his first few weeks of arrival but he had gotten used to it. But this concept didn't seem to apply well with her, so he had to fix it before things take turn for the worst.

Stoic as ever, Aizawa walked away from his station to face the hospital director.

"Anything I can help you, sir?"

"Yes! Didn't you come from Shoyo University Hokubu Hospital? Dr. Shiraishi came from the same hospital for you and we were discussing some future arrangements. Did you know each other?"

Aizawa stole a glance at the black haired woman who stood beside the director. There was no change in her body language. She was still as interesting as ever and he could hardly contain his own feelings at the sight before him.

"Yes, we used to work together at the lifesaving department."

And were very involved with one another. Though he didn't verbally say that.

He extended his hand to her for a handshake, which she took after a moment of consideration. This was the warmth that he had missed for all these years, ever since he held her at the airport and he had been waiting for the day he could do this again.

"You both worked together? Why didn't you say anything before, Dr. Shiraishi? You two must be very friendly with each other." Shiraishi didn't answer but just chuckled awkwardly so he took the initiative to change the grip of their hands, intertwining her fingers with his which fitted as perfect as he could remember.

"Yes. She is my significant other."

Shiraishi was not an expert in English but she knew it well enough for basic conversation and some level of academic writing. She knew perfectly what 'significant other' meant, but she had never expected to hear the term coming out from Aizawa's mouth. More importantly, used to describe her standing in his life. In front of so many people.

"Hahahaha, I see. This must be a wonderful opportunity for the two of you to meet again." The old man laughed at the sight of the young couple and Shiraishi's deep red-flushed cheeks.

"I'm sorry but I have a patient to check up. Please carry on with your business. Excuse me." He gave her hand a tight squeeze before walking back to the doctor's station. Dr. Williams had the wickedest of all grins at him and as he was within reach the woman patted his back so hard as she teased him over his actions.

"I didn't know you were the romantic type, Aizawa."

"Who do you think is behind it?" He mumbled as he continued with his work, not bothering the questioning look Dr. Williams had on her face upon his previous statement. For the first time in forever, he took out his private cellphone in the middle of work and sent her a text.

 _We need to talk._

* * *

Her meeting ended earlier than his shift so she texted him her hotel address and spent the whole afternoon in her room. They hadn't planned on going out or anything but she couldn't help but prepare just in case. She took a shower, dressed herself in a white turtleneck and light blue jumpsuit. Her face was brushed with a light make up and pink lip gloss. Her hair was let down, and she played with the strands as she waited for any sign of his arrival.

When the doorbell finally rang, she literally ran at full speed to open the door for him and there he stood, no longer dressed in scrubs. He had a light black overcoat on top of his grey shirt and black jeans. Keeping it basic as he usually did, but to her eyes he still looked perfect. His hair was a little bit tousled from before which made her wonder.

"Did you ran all the way here?"

"Yes." She laughed softly and brushed her fingers along his silky soft black locks to put it back neatly. She only realize later how close they were then from her actions.

"Sorry, I-"

"No need."

"Would you like to come in?" She offered rather awkwardly, still feeling weird from seeing him right in person after all these years.

"Ready to go out?"

"Eh?"

"Let's go out for dinner, I'm starving." She looked over her watch and he was right. It was almost 8. She hadn't had anything to eat since morning as well. In the afternoon her mind was too occupied by a certain incident that the only thing she could digest was a cup of hot tea though no matter what they knew he wouldn't accept any answer aside from 'yes'.

"O-Okay, let me just grab my purse." He nodded as he watched her almost stumbling over her bed trying to reach her purse on the bedside table. Perhaps she was just as nervous as he was, although he was just a little better at hiding it. When she was finally ready they walked out of the hotel building into the lightly crowded street. Neither of them said much along the way. Shiraishi's eyes were roaming around the foreigners passing by, the tall buildings, and sometimes to the pavement below her feet. Not noticing that Aizawa led them to a small French Bistro a few blocks from her hotel.

The place was rather small but it was packed with customers. The interior was decorated in knick knacks that gave a strong vintage Paris vibe. The dim yellow lighting made it felt romantic, no wonder most of the tables were occupied by couples.

"Reservation for 2 under the name Williams."

That name didn't sound familiar but they were immediately ushered to a small table for two beside a big window where they could see the streets and people passing by. It was probably the best place to sit and she still couldn't believe he made a reservation for a place like this. This was very unlikely for him.

"How did you find this place? It's fantastic."

"I got it through my friend, Williams." That name didn't ring a bell to her, so he gave her another hint.

"The one you saw with me just now." Then she remembered, the beautiful blonde woman from earlier today. So apparently they were close after all, but just before she managed to hung her head Aizawa spoke once more.

"She's a consultant. 5 years older and married. A mother of two."

"What?!"

"Yes."

Of course he didn't miss the look of relief in her eyes, and it reminded him of an incident a few years ago. As the beautiful doctor that she was, Shiraishi was always courted by many men. That was probably his only reason to be grateful for the fact that she was so dense. Even when Shinkai, probably the most aggressive among them all, dropped hints. Remember that time when he temporarily came back to lifesaving? She even dared asking him what that messy haired neurosurgeon had meant.

"So the tables have turned." He mumbled quietly, but loud enough for her to hear.

"What do you mean?"

See? She was just _that_ dense.

"Nothing. Are you ready to order now?"

He didn't need words to confirm her feelings. Her jealousy was enough of a proof because he knew exactly how that felt. It was proof that she loved him after all this time, and he did too.

That's it. He couldn't help himself anymore. Tomorrow, he would switch his shifts and took the day off. He would take her sightseeing, eat a nice lunch together, and ended the day by enjoying the sunset with two cans of coffee like they usually did. Then he would present a velvet box with a ring in front of her and ask her for a hand in marriage. No, they wouldn't marry immediately, but hopefully soon enough. Once they figure out how to deal with this long distance relationship.

Aizawa was never the type to act without calculation. He would never pop the question if he were unsure they could face this hardship together. He believed they would work this out sooner or later, not because it was easy, instead because they wanted the exact same thing.

He would prove himself right when she said yes to his proposal tomorrow.

* * *

 _Four years later,_

It was another terribly hectic day at the lifesaving department. The helicopter flew for the second time today and it hadn't passed noon yet. The two fellows on duty today, Uehara and Yanagi were standing by the helipad, shielding their face with the back of their hand from the scorching sunlight. They were waiting for the patient's arrival as they have heard from the phone earlier. A traffic accident at an intersection which involved a truck and a bicycle. Only one patient but since they were both still rather new, neither of them dared to volunteer for a ride at the helicopter and opted to wait at the sides.

"Hey, I heard that a new doctor came yesterday." Uehara, the short haired woman said to her friend. Just trying to make a light conversation because in three minutes, things would have turned 180 degrees.

"Really? To lifesaving?"

"No, he's in neurosurgery. I heard he did his residency in Toronto."

"Wow, he must be really smart." A residency in the prestigious Toronto University, it was something they could only imagine. They only offered a small number of seats for everyone around the world. It was well known that the competition was harsh either to get in and to graduate from. Neither one of them dared to dream for that spot.

"Yes, and I heard he looks dreamy as well!"

"What a complete package. If we have such a cool from the start neurosurgeon, I'd consult my patients to neurosurgery all the time."

"Too bad, I heard he's already married."

"Really?!"

"Yeah, just this morning I saw him wearing a white gold ring on his left hand's fourth finger. What else could that mean?" Uehara closed his eyes dreamily as she remembered the event from this morning. She only saw the doctor's back with his black scrubs but there was no way she would have missed the object on his ring finger.

"It could just be an accessory. A fashion statement?"

"Yeah, right. As if surgeon's would wear accessory rings on a daily basis. It would be too much of a hassle!"

Their conversation was cut short by the strong gust of wind coming from the helipad. The helicopter was there and it was their time to move into action. The two young women walked closer as they saw Natori, Yukimura, and their staff leader pushing a patient on the stretcher.

"29 year-old male was found unconscious after a high energy trauma from traffic accident. Patient was intubated on the spot. Blood pressure is 100/70 after a loading dose of crystalloid. Pupillary reflex on the right eye was weaker than the left. I suspect an intracranial hemorrhage. He also broke his pelvic." Natori explained quickly, and the five of them pushed the patient together into the treatment room.

"Excuse me ma'am, I'm going to cut your pants." A male nurse said, cutting the patient's clothes open to expose his injury.

"I'm going to do a FAST on him." This time Yanagi came forward and did exactly what she had just said after she received an approval nod from her supervisors.

"The peritoneal spaces are clear. There are no bleeding." She said confidently, only to have the probe taken away from her by Natori who pushed it at a different angle across the patient's sides.

"You see there? Yeah, that's a retroperitoneal bleeding. Be more thorough next time." He said dismissively as he made sure there were no more bleeding in other areas, initially not noticing how Yanagi got teary-eyed from his comment until he saw the staff leader's glare at him. So this is what the senior doctors were always debating about during his time as a fellow here. Their staff leader is just too soft. Nobody came to lifesaving without preparing to be yelled at and have blood stains all over their clothes. Even Haitani and Yokomine, or so he called 'the softies', survived the fellowship and even continued working there as a staff. They wouldn't learn anything if they were always pampered by the staff leader's kindness.

Sadly, it was not the time for argument. He would have to deal with her nagging later.

Then the emergency room door opened and Fujikawa walked inside to assist with the treatment.

"Fujikawa-sensei, a high energy trauma patient. We suspect a pelvic fracture. The FAST shows retroperitoneal bleeding and we're kind of busy." Natori shouted as he doused the patient's abdomen in povidone iodine. They had to work fast and precise, there was not much time for words as the patient's blood pressure kept deteriorating.

"I'll order an x-ray and CT for this patient just in case. Anything else?"

"Can anybody consult this patient to neurosurgery?" The staff leader's question was immediately answered by one of the fellow, Uehara.

"I'll do it." She said, excitement was fond in her tone as she dialed the number for neurosurgery's on-call phone. It didn't take long for the call to be answered as she explained the situation briefly in the shortest time possible.

"I'm on my way." Was the only answer she got from the other side of the phone, but the voice was certainly unfamiliar. It was neither Saijo-sensei's or Shinkai-sensei's, or even any of the neurosurgery team's that she had heard a few times in the past two months of fellowship. This must be the new doctor they were talking about.

In a matter of seconds, the door came open once again and a doctor in black neurosurgery scrubs came along. He was just as tall and handsome as people said, and even better up close. From the corner of her eye she could see her friend, Yanagi's eyes widen at the sight. Wait until she saw the ring on his finger.

"What is it?" The neurosurgeon said as he walked to the patient's head, holding a penlight in his hand.

"High energy trauma. A probable intracranial hemorrhage. CT-scan is on the way" The staff leader said very briefly, which is very uncommon for the two fellows as they usually heard her explain a patient's condition completely. Who would've understand anything from such a short explanation, they thought but unexpectedly the neurosurgeon didn't ask further and began examining the patient as if he had done this so many times before to not need too much unnecessary information. And he was supposed to be the newcomer.

"Yo Aizawa, first day of work and you already got yourself a case." Fujikawa said as he examined the pelvic x-rays. The name made these two fellows blink in confusion. Did he just said Aizawa? It couldn't be, because Aizawa-sensei is the name of–

"Yeah, it was never a quiet day with you guys."

The male neurosurgeon answered Fujikawa's question, which meant that it must really be his name. Uehara and Yanagi peeked at the name embroidered on his sleeve which said 'Aizawa K.' Yes, that was definitely his name. Coincidentally he has the same last name as...

Well, the last name Aizawa was not uncommon but could it be?

"It still felt strange having two Aizawa-sensei in this room, don't you think?"

They weren't the only ones who noticed after all.

Suddenly all eyes were on those two, Aizawa-sensei the neurosurgeon and Aizawa-sensei the staff leader. Neither one of them stopped working, but they could see the usually calm and composed female Aizawa's ears turning red. Dare they bet that her cheeks were just as red behind the mask. Neither of them had seen her this flustered before, not even in the worst situations on the field. Meanwhile Aizawa the neurosurgeon seemed to be better at hiding his emotions.

"Fujikawa-sensei, you should stop teasing the newlyweds. It's their first day of working together, don't want them to lose their focus. This patient still needs to be stabilized before moving to the ICU."

Natori-sensei's statement just confirmed their suspicions. Uehara and Yanagi stared in disbelief. So their last names weren't mere coincidence. They were heavily involved with each other, they were married. The two fellows looked at each other. Even behind the mask, they knew both their mouths were both agape.

Though the fellows had to admit, looking at the Aizawa husband and wife standing beside each other were like a painting. The beautiful Aizawa Megumi and his cool husband, Aizawa Kousaku. To make it better, they worked very well together as if they knew what each other were thinking of doing next.

"A new technique, did you learned it in Toronto?"

"Yeah. So you noticed."

"Oi you two fellows, why are your hands not moving? If you don't want to be here you should get out. Go order some more PRC and FFP, the patient's blood isn't going to instantly replenish itself."

"Y-Yes!" They both answered at the same time before running frantically to prepare just what they had been instructed to by the neurosurgeon. Wait, why did he order them so casually as if he was one of their supervisor in lifesaving? As if he had done it for so many times? Wasn't this supposed to be his first day of working at the Shoyo University Hokubu Hospital?

Oh, they both were so going to have a long gossip session afterwards.

* * *

 _Ding_

The elevator door came open and there she was her flight doctor suit was replaced by a light brown blouse over black slacks, leaning tiredly at the corner. She definitely noticed him as her eyes suddenly lit up and she managed to smile weakly at him.

"Good work today." She said as he nodded. He was supposed to say that at her as she was having it worse. He heard the helicopter flew another three times before sunset and her face had been a concrete proof of how exhausting it must have been.

"You too." The neurosurgeon walked into the elevator and the door behind him closed. He stood right beside her with arms folded and she shifted her position, now leaning her head towards his shoulders.

"You are still harsh towards the fellows. You could have asked nicely." So she still remembered the incident from earlier today which involved him and her two fellows. There was no harm done, the two fellows acted as usual through the day though his tone bugged her. She tried to hold her comment until they were both alone. As for Natori who did the same, she would save the argument for tomorrow.

"They were both idle in the middle of a procedure. That should have never happened."

"But still-"

"They were staring at us."

"Eh? Really? What for" How Aizawa Kousaku could never get tired with his wife's thick skull. No matter how long he spent with her, he still wondered how her brain was able to process hundreds of difficult textbooks but could be extremely dull when it comes to personal matters.

"Do we attract too much attention together? Do you think I should refer back to my old last name, just to make everything easier? Fujikawa was right, it could be confusing at times like today." Not another debate over taking each other's last name again. They have gone through this for so many times already and he was tired of it. His answer would never change.

"Don't mind what others are thinking." End of conversation. They both knew she wasn't asking because she was too attached with her last name, but it was for a more practical reason at work. He still wouldn't budge no matter how she tried to persuade him. He would never admit it, but every morning he secretly admired the name on the side of her new scrubs. It reminded him that everything was real. They were real.

"Are you on duty tonight?" Megumi tried to change the topic. He nodded and she felt a few strand of his hear tickling her face as he moved but it didn't disturb her one bit. They had been waiting for this day for so long, just working together like they did before he went to Toronto. They had been in this situation for so many times but strangely today felt different than it was before. Perhaps it's the excitement of finally being able to see each other every day off-screen after the few months of marriage, no longer saying good morning when it's midnight at the other side of the world, and knowing that they finally got each other's back again at work.

"Remember our first day of fellowship?"

"Yeah."

"We stood at the opposite side of this elevator." They were basically strangers who barely knew the right thing to say to one another. Correction, rivals. That was what Kuroda-sensei said about them. Competing on who would get the right to ride the helicopter more, assisting surgeries, performing difficult procedures. It felt so intense back then and neither of them ever imagined days like today would ever come.

"Think about how far we have gone from that day. We were so helpless at work, well not you but at least I did." Her eyes were clouded by the memories of her fellowship, especially the day she thought she destroyed Kuroda-sensei's career. She would never forget that for as long as she lived, and even until today she still kept her promise of flying on the helicopter more than everybody else. He still didn't say anything, instead leaned his head on hers. He was never a man of words and she was so used to deciphering his codes through actions.

 _You were fine._

"It feels great to have you here again."

Then the elevator door opened and together they walked side by side before parting right before the front door, the matching white gold rings on their fingers glistened under the light. He didn't kiss her goodbye like other loving couples would but she knew he loved her. He just smiled at her as she waved and walked past the glass door leaving him to spend his night at the hospital. They didn't need to be together 24/7 nor any form of PDA for everyone to know how connected they were. His mind wandered for a bit, pondering on how far he had gone in his life, careers aside.

He was a man who never believed in love, aside from the one he received from his grandmother, but he knew that from her. She was the first to reach deep into his heart, through the thick cloud of distrust and selfishness. She had waited for him after all those years and the rings were proof of their eternal vows to continue being with one another until the very end. Never once did he imagine himself in this state, seeing how his own parents ended up but she made him believe that he wanted to settle down with nobody else but her.

Couples marry not only to share their happiness, but to face hardships together, he remembered saying that to Fujikawa one night but at the time he was just saying what he thought. Now, he had finally experienced it himself. The journey they went through wasn't always smooth sailing, there were many times when the water's rough. There were tears, sweat, and a lot of blood involved. Literally. After taking the long way around finally they were back to where they both belong, the hospital where they had worked for so many years; and most importantly, together.

Aizawa Kousaku inhaled deeply, the smell of antiseptic is strong in the air but it was so different from Toronto. The smell brought so many memories, something that he hadn't been able to find elsewhere. His hand moved to his pocket as he walked back to the elevator, going back to the neurosurgery department to continue filling medical records where he had left off before seeing his wife off.

 _His wife._ That term still made him smile even after months. He wondered how long it would take for him to get accustomed. Anyway,

"It feels great to be back."

* * *

Author's note: Finally I'm done! This is probably the longest fic I have ever written, but nothing's impossible for this couple I guess. This one is like a compilation of super short oneshots. We were left hanging by the end of episode 10 so this is my take on what's probably gonna happen after Aizawa decided to go to Toronto, including a part of the random headcanon I posted on twitter sometime last week. At least we got a movie to anticipate until next year, exactly 10 years since the first season aired. Whoa, time flies! Also, look at how many fanfics we have now for this fandom. From two to more than forty, you guys are amazing.

As usual, please let me know what you think about this fic in the reviews below. I accept any form of constructive criticism, suggestions, or even your thoughts on the last episode haha. Really. I am looking forward to your feedbacks so I could improve and write better fics for everyone. Thanks for reading!

Kimchi/summermelon


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